What we don't know, we take for granted

Recently one of my Boy's Brigade junior's mum passed away. It came as a shock to the company. From marching competitions, to funeral wakes, it was an abrupt change no one knew was coming.

And a week before Mother's Day. Talk about heartbreaking timing.

I felt my heart break when I realized everyone including me was celebrating Mother's Day yesterday, while he didn't have a mother to celebrate with anymore. My heart broke even more when he shared this photo;

You don't know what you have till it's gone. That has to be the most truest lyrics of all time. While we're here complaining about the food, someone out there has no food to eat. While we're here complaining about our phones, someone doesn't even know what a phone is. While we're here in the hot sun and cold rain, someone's house just got destroyed by a flood.

And those are the major things that have crossed our minds before, what about the small stuff? Would you ever regret not walking down that road when you had the chance?  Would you regret not sending a message? Would you regret not reading that book?

But we can't even blame ourselves about not being grateful for all these things, because frankly, we don't know. We don't know how it feels like, we don't know what's going to be taken away, we don't know what to cherish. Heck we don't even know what we would miss. We don't know what it is to be disabled, we don't know how it feels to be illiterate, we don't know how it feels to be someone else.

The last time I loss someone was a year back, when my Uncle Simon passed away from a heart attack. Only then did I realize,

"I didn't take a photo with him."

It's just a small thing, but it's one of my biggest regrets in life. Now I take as many photos as I can with the people I love, because now that I know, I don't want to regret.

We've gotta realize one thing before it's too late. Ignorance is not bliss. and with that I realized that I'm ignorant. I'm so comfortable with life that I don't know what are the things I cherish, until the wings of an angel takes them away. Now I just wish I had hugged him more, than acting like I was too mature for that. I wish I had told him how he was like the only father figure I had in this family. How I looked up to him. But now here I am, just wishing, just regretting, never getting that photo I should have taken.

Don't let this be you. In light of Mother's Day, It's not just for a day. In the light of our lives, don't just live everyday in a stupor. Don't just thank God for all that you're grateful for. Ask yourself what you're grateful for. You never know what small things you're gonna miss when they just disappear. Remember that I miss my Uncle, and regret not taking a photo with him. So go out, cherish the ones you love, and take all those pictures you want, so you won't ever have the chance to regret.


This blog post is in loving memory of Phuah Chia Liang's mother. Thank you for raising up such a great boy, and an even greater leader. Thank you for reminding me to be grateful. I hope it's beautiful over there where you are. Rest In Peace.

And to Phuah, keep smiling. Remember that she's in a better place, and that she's proud of you. Stay strong, grow stronger.